Chelmsford City look to continue their recent impressive form when they take a trip into London to take on Vanarama National League South strugglers Dulwich Hamlet on Tuesday 6th December, 7.45pm kickoff.
The opposition
Dulwich sit in 20th place having played 17 games in the Vanarama National League South this season. They have won 5, drawn 3 and lost 9, scoring 24 goals and conceding 31 in the league campaign so far which all adds up to 18 league points. Dulwich sit just 1 point above the relegation zone, although they have played 4 games less than Hungerford who sit 2nd bottom in the division. Dulwich’s form is not bad in recent weeks though with 4 wins in their last 8 in all competitions, with 3 defeats and 1 draw. They have won 3 of their last 5 games at home, with the other two being single goal defeats to play-off bound Dartford and Worthing.
In terms of players, Dulwich have former Leyton Orient keeper Charlie Grainger in goal, who is the son of former Birmingham City defender Martin, who played a couple of games on loan for Chelmsford in 1992. In defence they have brought in full-back Will Wood from Ebbsfleet, and also Joe Felix who has appeared for Torquay and Billericay. They also have long-serving defender Quade Taylor, as well as former Dartford centre-back Ronnie Vint. In midfield they have brought in the experienced James Comley, who had long spells with St Albans and Maidenhead, winning promotion with both. Comley was playing at Boreham Wood last season, as was Frankie Raymond, who also had spells with Bromley and Dagenham. In attacking areas they have former Oxford City winger Nana Owusu, as well as former Leyton Orient, Colchester and Bromley forward George Porter. Their main threat up front is tall striker Danny Mills, who has been a perennial thorn in the side of the Clarets over the years. Mills has scored hat-tricks against City for both Whitehawk and Dulwich, and scored in this fixture last season. Mills is also their top scorer in the league this season with 7.
Dulwich’s boss is Paul Barnes. Barnes replaced Gavin Rose who left the club in September after 13 years in charge. After an interim spell in charge, Barnes was appointed permanently in late October. Barnes has previously managed Redhill, Staines, Guildford and Greenwich. He has been an assistant at Welling and has worked in the academies at Chelsea and Millwall.
Previous Meetings
Robbie Simpson’s first game in charge as interim manager of Chelmsford was a 5-3 defeat at Dulwich in February 2020. That defeat is Chelmsford’s only defeat in South London since Dulwich were promoted in 2018, as they have had 2 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw in 4 visits there. However, City have not beaten Dulwich at Melbourne in 3 attempts. Last season’s match saw Danny Imray return to the side. Imray scored and won a penalty as City won 3-1.
Team News
Khale Da Costa (ankle) and Ade Oluwo (back) are both still recovering from injury. Louis Dunne returned as a goal-scoring substitute against Dartford after picking up an ankle injury when on the end of the red card challenge by Barnet’s Sam Woods in the FA Cup replay. Striker Callum Jones is in training after his long-term ankle injury but is still a few weeks away. Frankie Terry missed the last game with illness.
Ticket News
Tickets are now available to be purchased in advance of the 7:45pm kick-off on Tuesday and can be bought by clicking this link.
Ticket prices online:
Adult (inc processing fees) – £12.70
Concession (inc processing fees) – £5.30
Under-13s – FREE (accompanied by a paying adult)
Entry can also be purchased at the turnstiles on the day at Champion Hill.
Ticket prices on the night:
Adult – £12
Concession – £5
Under-13s – FREE (accompanied by a paying adult)
The turnstiles on Tuesday night open at 6pm and Dulwich Hamlet advise supporters to arrive as early as possible to avoid congestion and long waiting times for entry.
Please note that the Hamlet use a cashless system at Champion Hill, and only accept card payments. Further information about match days at Dulwich Hamlet can be found here.
Where to follow the game…
The Club will be only providing coverage of the game on Twitter (@OfficialClarets) using the hashtag #TheClarets.
There will also be live audio commentary from Radio Clarets.
Post-match reports and interviews will be found on the club website, social media and ClaretsTV following the game.
How to get there…
The easiest way to get there from Chelmsford is by taking the supporters coach. The coach leaves Melbourne Stadium at 4.15pm and the County Hotel on Duke Street at 4.30pm. Prices are £30 for adults and £15 for U18s. Please phone or text Dave Cresswell on 07582797001 to book your seat.
By car: Simply type in the postcode ‘SE22 8BD’ into your SatNav device. We have some limited car parking at the ground, and there is some on-street parking in the locality, within a five minute radius, but please check for any local parking restrictions.
You can also pay for parking at Sainsbury’s via this website Horizon Spaces
By train:The nearest stations are East Dulwich, which is a five minute walk; or Denmark Hill; which is a ten minute stroll, or a short bus ride.
From East Dulwich station: Turn left, past the pizza shop and then Morley’s. Go through the park at the bottom of the hill and you will see the ground. For midweek games, when the gates are closed, walk halfway up the hill and turn left at the lights.
From Denmark Hill station: Turn left, this is Champion Park. You will see a bus stop opposite the Salvation Army Training College. Any bus from here passes the ground, three stops away. Or walk past the bus stop, turn right and up the slight incline on the main road. Over the lights at the top of Dog Kennel Hill, and the ground will be on your right, halfway down the hill, turning into Edgar Kail Way.
You can check train times by looking at www.nationalrail.co.uk
From central London East Dulwich is served by trains from London Bridge; whilst Denmark Hill has services from London Victoria & London Blackfriars.
There are plenty of services from both stations after midweek matches.
PLEASE NOTE: Train services can be disrupted by engineering works at weekends, and East Dulwich station can be closed, served by replacement bus services.
By bus: Routes 40, 42, 484, 185, 176 & P13 all pass the ground, either stopping on Dog Kennel Hill, or turning into Edgar Kail Way, to Sainsbury’s. The 37 bus stops nearby, alight at Goose Green. And the 68 & 468 are also close to Denmark Hill, alight by the Fox on the Hill pub & then walk along Champion Hill, toward the ground.
All bus times can be checked at www.tfl.gov.uk
Weather
It is set to be a chilly but dry evening with highs of just 6 degrees.
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